


lost cause

by Gertika



Series: stained by red [2]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Anarchy, Blood and Injury, Bomb mention, Genre-Typical Violence, Gun Violence, Knives, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Past Character Death, Polyamory, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:36:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25992247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gertika/pseuds/Gertika
Summary: It's an odd group they had, they wouldn't deny that. An odd collection of people with odd relationships to one another. They were only humans after all, despite the number of lives their field of work had claimed. The mood turns different when someone mentions them, the air in a room changes when they arrive. The chief of police says they're just young hooligans, none to be afraid of. He knows more than he'll ever admit.
Relationships: almost Everyone/Everyone
Series: stained by red [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1886458
Comments: 36
Kudos: 28





	1. Nico

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to a seven part continuation to the crime au I wrote a one shot for about two months ago. Each chapter will be about the internal relationships between the people in the crew. Theoretically you could probably read this on it's own but I recommend reading the first one, it's not very long. Hope you enjoy!

Nico was built from a different material, he could feel it by now. Maybe not destined for the end goal but a thoroughly productive pawn in the game. He’d been around, seen the change, seen what happens when you let your guard down around the wrong people. He knew the legacies better than anyone, heard them, lived them. His life was always going to be like this. Nico knew better than to wish a different life on the people in the crew. You turn your life around earlier than joining them, everyone should know that. The years hadn’t been kind. To him or the crew. He’d had good friends in this once, companions even. Life was too short, too unpredictable in this field of life to dwell on it all but the left arm of his denim jacket was embroidered with the full names of each and every one of those he had lost. Gone but not forgotten. Never forgotten. The names were starting to get uncomfortably close to his wrist. Sometimes Nico would stay up and think what he would do if the sleeve got full, would that be the sign? The thing that made him quit? The jacket was splattered with lighter parts, bleached white to rid the fabric of the blood of friends and enemies. Nico remembered each one.

To say Kimi quitting had been weird was an understatement. Nico was unsure if he’d ever grow used to being the one who’d been there the longest. In terms of how long people tended to last in this, Kimi had felt ancient but he of course came with his own legacy. Nico supposed he was getting ancient too, just without a legacy. Maybe Nico’s legacy would be years and years of dumb luck. He didn’t like thinking about the day that luck would run out. Maybe he could escape it forever. Cockroaching his way through life with a variety of scars and frustration beyond measure that lead to him taking baseball bats to jewelry store windows at night. Kimi had stories. Kimi was known further than this town, an urban legend of sorts. Nico couldn’t help but respect the man. The man who had escaped certain death in ways nobody understood and then escaped the life. Gotten a real business, a loving partner and a happy home. Every time they saw each other Nico would point out to him that assisting criminals is still a crime. Kimi would just smirk at him and tell him it’s only a crime if the police can prove he’s doing it knowingly. It was a fair argument.

Lando had joined in his early teens and Nico liked the kid, he really did. He’d taught Lando a lot of things over the years he’s sure Kimi wouldn’t have approved of, that hypocrite. They weren’t friends exactly, he wouldn’t say so, but Lando was like a little brother he didn’t dare to hope to have. They’d been through a lot, many lost friends and close calls. Many muttered plans at the backs of police cars. Many late nights sat on kitchen counters eating take out or cooking and trying to keep the mood up. Thinking too much about what had happened was bad in their lane of life. Thinking things through kept people alive, thinking too much drove them back to death’s door. Reminded them of those lost, led down a dangerous path or anger and revenge. Both of them knew that, which is likely why he’d ended up so protective of the kid. He knew there was really nothing he could do to ensure their survival but he was going to try. They had watched prodigies fall together, people who were supposed to have it all figured out fall victim to rage. Nico hoped it wouldn’t happen to them. Nico hoped it wouldn’t happen at all. They had seen a lot but the strength to do it again dwindled each time.

Antonio was brought in as a reinforcement after the incident that caused Fernando to leave. He hadn’t agreed with the decision of bringing in a replacement but Antonio proved useful, although if you asked Nico, he wasn’t convinced Antonio would stick around. Not for too long anyway, not anymore. He’d changed entirely when the incident that led to George’s recruitment had happened. Antonio had been so happy and cheerful before and it all crumbled so fast. Nico watched the younger man turn in on himself and disappear for days at a time. Nico understood it well, Antonio lost someone so close to him so suddenly, it was bound to change a person. The brand new Antonio was so much quieter. So much more calculated. Nico knew it was the new reality of things, that the man would sit in corners watching, observing and understanding nuances more than actually taking part. Sometimes where were flashes of the person he knew, the person Antonio was before. When Nico watched the younger guys play video games or plan jobs that were less jobs and more fun nights out causing chaos. But in the end the new Antonio just remained someone Nico likely would never quite grasp, he was strangely okay with that.

George was their best recruitment yet, or so Nico believed. Someone with medical training was very useful for a bunch of people getting into violent encounters on a weekly basis. Vital even. George had joined at such a tense time. They had needed him. Would have needed him earlier really. Could have saved lives. Nico didn’t like to think about it. Thinking about it made his left arm feel heavier than it already did. George was slow to take up the offer to join, interested in the activity but not so keen on how they did it. Nico understood George’s apprehension to guns, didn’t know the reasons for it but understood it. Were the cards dealt a little differently in life, likely he wouldn’t be very keen on them either. Nico took George outside of the city every now and then to try different guns out, new equipment testing, target practice, but he knew better than to expect George to get into it. Nico maintained that those little outings were some of the best prep work that could be done. Not only from a testing point of view but he knew how instrumental George was in planning work. Nico wasn’t one for planning but he knew the younger man was, and that knowing the equipment they had up for use was more than helpful. 

Daniel was special in every way. From how he’d charmed his way through them with a bright smile and a precise shot to how he behaved around them, breathing an air of joy into what was undeniably, according to Nico, a bunch of depressed fuckers. Daniel had joined his and Lando’s kitchen talks before the man had officially even joined them and his general aura was so thoroughly comforting it made Nico smile involuntarily each time. Daniel’s laugh would echo in large spaces, bounce off the walls. When Nico ran out of self control and wanted to wreak havoc Daniel tagged along, having a good time throwing rocks through windows, afterwards all kind words and soft touches of affirmation while Nico watched the flashing blue lights fade from their rear view mirror. Daniel’s curls were soft and his heart was free. He didn’t seem to mind Nico’s mind being elsewhere, understood that sometimes you need something else than spending time thinking about what you can’t have. Not often but every now and then. Falling into it was so easy, effortless. Daniel was accommodating. Held Nico with a certain gentleness Nico would have never dared to ask for, only in quiet understanding he embraced it.

He didn’t think he’d like Max. Of course the introduction to Max had been anything but normal and the contrast between the person standing in the rain that evening and the person a few hours later dry and calmed down was vastly different but he hadn’t seemed… approachable. Not before Nico had heard him cursing in Dutch after dropping a knife right next to his foot and Nico couldn’t suppress a laugh. The establishment of a common language that nobody else spoke had brought them together faster than either of them anticipated. Max had started coming along with Nico’s and George’s escapades and Nico wasn’t sure it was helping with the original intention of those trips but they had fun nevertheless. Not that the original intention was ever going to carry any fruit, and they still got good work done. Max had become furiously protective of the crew once he had gotten comfortable within it. Nico wasn’t going to say it out loud, but he found it adorable. It had taken Max a few weeks to figure out which events were normal and which weren’t. A few weeks of quiet observing and asking vague questions in Dutch that Nico hadn’t thought about too much at the time.

Alex had been so quiet at first when he’d woken up in their hideout. Nico had been on  _ death duty  _ to make sure no accidents happen and the panicked look on the young man’s face when he had realized not only was he not at whatever his home base was, but with a stranger who had a gun strapped to his leg and he had no weaponry available. Nico had understood enough that the survival of Alex mattered to Max and that was all he was going to take into account. Alex was secretive, first about everything. Skillfully lying about a variety of things. Nico would’ve never known if Alex didn’t start eventually breaking down those lies and telling truths. Most of those things weren’t even important in the grand scheme. Trust was a fickle thing and understandably so. Nico wasn’t going to pretend like he was good at reading people, most of the time he barely had a clue about things that were directly and explicitly said to him. Alex never lied of his past, didn’t speak of it at all. Everyone there had a messy life that they liked to keep quiet of and he wasn’t going to drag it out of anyone if they didn’t volunteer it. Nico held a strong belief that Alex was the scariest of them, but he didn’t know enough to be sure.

Nico wasn’t going to deny what was true. These people had become family to him and that’s why he’d stuck around. Stayed despite everything. Would stay as long as they needed him. It was another one of those nights. Nico ran his finger over a scar on his eyebrow, smiled at the mirror and tied a bandana over his face. He pulled his denim jacket on and grabbed a baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire painted black on his way out. He was playing distraction tonight. Cause a good amount of chaos in the fashion district and get as much of the police force after him as he could. That wouldn’t be an issue. Maybe he could grab a few new articles of clothing while he waited for the authorities to get closer. Nico texted a quick message to their group chat letting everyone know he was off to execute his part of the plan, accompanied with a variety of emojis he found funny. Daniel replied with an equally nonsensical emoji filled message. Max replied to both of them with ‘stop’. Nico grinned to himself, put a pair of sunglasses on and pulled out of the lot in his Challenger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated, thank you for reading this.
> 
> Big big big thank you to ricciardos for dealing with me trying to get this (and the six following) chapter good and consistent. Also big thanks to redpaint and alphatoro for their help on this first chapter!
> 
> And thank you to all my friends who I've told vague things about this AU but refused to get into details for their patience. I'm sorry. Here it is.


	2. Lando

Lando was lost every morning. Waking up from his own bed was so rare he couldn’t recognize his surroundings bleary eyed even when he happened to be there. Most mornings he woke up from a couch he’d fallen asleep on playing video games, his computer chair or from the living room in Kimi’s house, but that didn’t narrow down his options enough to really help him out. Not when there were still mornings he would find himself in brand new places. Most mornings Lando would hop in his car and set his phone to navigate to the closest 24-hour diner. Sleeping schedule questionable at best, he ended up going to the same handful of places a lot. He considered it a special treat when he woke up at a realistic hour, late enough for most food places to have opened already, and got to try something new. There was a quiet agreement between him, the staff of the diners frequented and other patrons to not get the cops involved, he was good business after all. And if he knowingly did spare a life or two in some bank robberies or casino heists because he recognized those people as fellow 3:30am 24-hour diner patrons, nobody said anything about it out loud.

He’d been so young when he met them. He’d been even younger when it had all begun but that part of his life was over, he’d gotten his revenge. He’d been living in an abandoned warehouse, he should’ve known someone would find him with how much bandwidth he was stealing and he considers himself lucky it was Kimi who first came in and not someone who would’ve been less kind to what happened. Lando continued to maintain the argument that if you’re walking into a warehouse you know for a fact a criminal is living in, you should check your blind spots. Kimi tended to roll his eyes at that. They both knew Lando was right but Kimi would never admit that. To the crew the whole thing was just known as  _ the light stabbing of 2014 _ but the details remained hazy at best to them. They didn’t need to know. Kimi hadn’t been very impressed at the time but the scar wasn’t too bad in the end. Lando thought it was kind of cool. Kimi was like a parental figure to Lando, not that Lando had the courage to ever say that out loud but it was an undeniable truth. Whenever he had free time when the others were on jobs he would just hang out at Kimi’s house.

Nico was the only one left that had been there through it all. Nico had taught him basic skills like sharpening knives, customizing guns and sewing as well as things neither of them would ever admit to. Nico had stayed with him all night after one of the worst days of Lando’s life, as well as the following day. He had also helped with Lando’s personal vendettas and Lando was forever thankful. It meant the world to him to close the chapter he’d lived prior to joining. What life had been like and how carefully planned and executed his redemption had been. Every late night with Nico cooking something for him as he sat on a counter top complaining about topics that mostly didn’t matter was so important to him. All those memories made him smile. After every job Nico would hug him, ruffle his curls and tell him “we’re going to be okay  kleiner ”. Lando wasn’t about to admit how much he liked the nicknames he’d been given over the years. He had a jacket similar to Nico’s in his closet. Messily embroidered to the back of it, the nicknames he’d never hear again, from people long gone. Nico had helped him figure out how to organize them and how to do it. Every time Lando looked at it he hoped  _ kleiner _ would never join those words.

Antonio was so quiet at first around the younger, like he knew Lando was on the back foot about him. Fernando was so dear to him he didn’t know how to behave with a  _ replacement _ . Not that Antonio was a proper replacement anyway, their tasks within the crew were too different for a direct comparison. It had taken Lando months to warm up to the guy, probably because he was a reminder that Fernando had left, which was a reminder of the reason he did that. Lando didn’t like to think about that day. Kimi had eventually had enough of it, and told Lando to get it together. He was right of course. Kimi had brought Antonio in as a friend and Lando had no reason to be so dismissive of the man. Lando had sat across the table from Antonio and muttered a hi before asking him if he’d like to play a few rounds of Call of Duty. Antonio had laughed so sweetly Lando felt bad for days. It was a process, to come to terms with all the elements of it but that day they’d gotten to a start that. They’d made good process until everything changed. That Antonio Lando had so carefully gotten to know barely showed up anymore. Only during Call of Duty really. Sometimes still they seeked comfort in each other in the dead of night.

George was brought in out of sheer necessity. The day that led to the desperate ad for a medical professional to help them had been so pointless. Lando knew that even if most of the others didn’t. All they’d done was seek revenge and barely gotten out alive once again. They had to stop losing lives to the same people. Lando had been shot in the shoulder, he knew he’d live, he’d have to anyway. Losing one person was too much as is, two would be too many. Not when there weren’t that many of them left standing. George was never meant to join, just help when they needed it but a different decision had been made. He was a talented driver and could hold his own in a physical fight. He could save lives. He was useful. Lando still tried to talk him out weekly. George still had time to leave, run, get a real job helping people. George would smile at him so sweetly and kiss his forehead telling him no. That something had ended that road for him. Lando didn’t want to pry, he knew he had his own demons he didn’t talk about and wasn’t about to ruin how soundly he slept with his head on George’s bare chest, their legs tangled together. It wasn’t that often that he woke up well rested.

He got along with Daniel immediately. Daniel was so bright and the energy he brought gave them new hope. Daniel also had no filter and his moral compass hadn’t been operational the moment they met him, or as Lando would later find out, ever. Lando found Daniel fascinating, like a moth to a light he somehow craved being near the other as much as possible. Maybe because their sense of humor fit well together. When Daniel joined his and Nico’s late night kitchen hang outs they quickly found out the vibrant man was useless in the kitchen in terms of making food, but was very useful in terms of being very comfortable for Lando to lean against while sitting on the counter. They had barely met three times when Daniel had come to him with a new shampoo and a sly smile. Mentioning that his curls looked like a dry mess. Lando had flushed thoroughly and thanked him for the shampoo. Daniel started playing with Lando’s hair a lot when his curls got in better condition and the younger wasn’t about to lie and say he didn’t enjoy it. And if Daniel’s interest in his curls had led to him getting intimately familiar with the backseats of Daniel’s cars or the art hanging over the man’s bed, Lando was okay with that.

In a different life, where things were different, Max and Lando could’ve hated each other. One where both of them were more proud. One where their support structures in life were stronger. There was a clear way on how that could’ve happened but it didn’t. As soon as Max had admitted he’d hacked into the system Lando had dragged him away from the group. Max had been reluctant, Lando wasn’t going to say scared because they both knew Max could kick his ass in a fight, but maybe intimidated by the suddenness of it. Lando didn’t really know, they never talked about it. Lando was so curious and Max answered most questions if you asked them specifically enough. Their teamwork was unparalleled, fast, and nobody understood how they got so in tune so fast, although the crew likes to joke it’s because they keep falling asleep cuddling on the couch from playing video games to the early hours of the morning. Neither of them were going to admit what happened on that couch, the others didn’t need to know. They would be banned from playing on it, or whatever new couch they would insist on getting right away, indefinitely. The sly shared smiles spoke for themselves.

Alex was clearly important. Not just to them but in the grand scheme. Lando hadn’t grasped at first how much they needed him, the boy was just someone Max dragged off what was essentially an active battle field. Lando had covered him without question but didn’t quite understand it. Not until later when Alex started to open up. Until they saw his true colors. It had taken Alex a while but Lando was okay with that, he understood it, sometimes you just have to keep your guard up and that’s okay. Alex turned out to be clumsy as hell which led them to very fast throw out their rule about everyone taking care of their own equipment, since Alex couldn’t be trusted to sharpen a knife. On a regular basis he managed to slice into his hand or in the very least the engraving off the blade and if Lando didn’t have to redo it for him each time he would have found it absolutely hilarious. Alex turned out to also be very good at Call of Duty which led to a swift decision to replace Daniel in the squad. Daniel was thankful. Lando didn’t mind the extra time with Alex. Either playing video games or spending time doing other things, as they tended to do whenever one of them was placed in “house arrest” by George.

Lando brought coffee back from a diner with him each morning. Whether it was actually morning when he got back was highly dependent on a day but he still did it. Walked into wherever they were holed up and yelled at the door to make everyone emerge to get theirs. He tried to keep up with if someone was out for the night, or the week, so there wouldn’t be an unfortunate wasted coffee. It still happened. Lando knew it was important to cherish the people he had while he had them so he tried his best to do what he could. What little time they had on this god forsaken planet. He liked to spend free days sketching out future projects, paintings he liked to spray onto places nobody should reach. The mural was going to be on a pillar under a bridge, he’d finish his sketch and ask Nico to come with him. Help him secure the harness and support system to the bridge, the fall to the water would likely hurt. Or lead in injury. Lando wasn’t very keen on testing the depth of the water or his diving form. Nico could also be a look out, in the end it wasn’t very legal to be painting large murals on city property. Or so the police told him on a monthly basis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All kudos and comments are still greatly appreciated, thank you for reading this!
> 
> Also thank ricciardos again for betaing the whole series, MVP honestly.


	3. Antonio

Antonio knew he didn’t talk much. Kept mostly to himself but he was very observant. He knew this was a means to an end solution, joining the guys. Not his grand plan, not even his first plan, but good enough he supposed. He also knew he’d changed when the person he was closest to within the crew came face to face with a tragic end. It had become more obvious that this wasn’t where he would stay indefinitely. He’d get his payback for the things that drove him to this. He knew the others also knew this wasn’t where he would stay. He wasn’t the only recruit around the same time, when the crew was running low on people, but he was the surviving one so far. He liked dealing with the less messy and bloody side of it, designer shoes shining and not a single hair on his head out of place. He knew they would find someone new when he was inevitably done with it at some point. When he broke off to do what he needed to. But in that moment they were family, they took care of one another. Antonio still maintained a carefully constructed routine of waking up early, getting ready and leaving wherever they were staying. Nobody knew what for. Antonio didn’t talk about it.

He knew what was up with Kimi way before he had any proof. Way before someone pointed a gun at his head and said Kimi will pay for what he’s done. What had struck Antonio in that moment was how collected Kimi had been, seen the man sweating, adjusting his hand around the gun. He’d understood the fact that this man was not going to shoot, not in broad daylight, not an unarmed person sitting with someone who would likely manage to shoot him before the anonymous man could disarm Kimi. When that same man dropped dead at his feet in the back alley Antonio wanted concrete answers. Answers and an opening. To get in. Kimi wanted out but was willing to bring Antonio in. That’s the name of the game and Antonio saw that. Kimi had to replenish the crew before he could leave them, especially since Fernando had left to be a better man, and Antonio was more than happy to use that as a stepping stone towards a different goal. Antonio knew him and Kimi had a quiet understanding that there was an outside factor, an unknown motive for his adamance to get involved, but neither of them said anything about it. You don’t ask questions in this world, they put you in places you don’t want to be. Knowledge is intel, always.

He felt bad for Nico. He would never say that to the man’s face, his survival instinct was better than that, but he saw the turmoil Nico lived in. The man held a clean front, cheerful front that didn’t drop most days. A front that hid how bad things had gotten. How many things had gone wrong over the years with no light at the end of the tunnel. Antonio noticed how certain topics without fail would lead to Nico going on one of this night time rampages. Mentions of specific inevitabilities in their line of work. He knew the man struggled to hold on to his own decisions, saw how he looked at other people like he was jealous. Like he envied their life despite the clear similarities to his own. Antonio wasn’t around early enough to know the base reason but some easy assumptions could be made. About things and people lost, he related deeper than anyone would ever know. Nico was so careful about hiding his feelings. Towards anything or anyone that wasn’t a part of the crew, only really baring any affection towards known friends. Family in a way. As to why Nico was so guarded about the other things, Antonio wouldn’t ask. Their relationship wasn’t like that. Not anymore especially. Not since everything changed.

Lando was sweet. He had been so apprehensive about Antonio at first, a certain pain in his eyes every time he saw the recruit. Antonio understood, they had just lost two people in a short period of time. One in a more tragic fashion than the other but two people nevertheless and he could tell Lando was close to them. So he kept his distance, he let Lando work at his own pace. Until Kimi had noticed anyway. Antonio had tried to tell the man not to worry about it, that Lando was hurt and he could wait. Kimi had shook his head and Antonio knew better than to argue. When the boy had asked him to play video games with him a few days later, Antonio couldn’t help but be charmed. Sure he had been a different person back then too. They didn’t talk about what changed everything but it did make Antonio appreciate Lando more. Not only as someone who had been there and didn’t treat him any differently after, but also Lando had gone through so much and remained himself. Hadn’t went through such a fundamental change as Antonio had. Not in the crew anyway, Antonio could only assume of earlier. Neither of them said anything when Lando crawled into Antonio’s bed some nights.

George was nice. Helpful. Antonio wouldn’t say a friend but they got along. Their priorities of getting things done quick, clean and efficient lined up a lot, which very fast led to the crew splitting them to different sides of the room in planning to avoid them ganging up on the rest with their “logic” and “good arguments”. Sometimes you don’t want such a thing as a neat execution. Sometimes you don’t have such an option, according to the others anyway. The silent camaraderie was the main thing they had. Antonio knew getting someone with medical knowledge was long overdue, he just hoped they could’ve had him just a bit earlier. Not that it would’ve saved his friend, not really, but maybe things could’ve been different. George met Antonio the day it had happened, he was already changed for good, George would never know. Would never realize how different he had been. George held secrets too, deep and complicated, so much Antonio could tell but wasn’t one to ask. George didn’t seem keen on talking about them either. Gave Lando vague references any time it came up in conversation. Antonio gave an understanding nod to him each time.

Daniel was a lot. Daniel was a lot right away and Antonio was overwhelmed for a month after he showed up the first time. The man was so high energy and seemingly effortlessly happy and it intrigued Antonio. Of course there had to be some deeper rooted issues, something wrong, you don’t end up in a life of crime if your whole life goes swimmingly. All of them were more than aware of that. Daniel was so social he would sometimes sit with Antonio and talk about nothing as Antonio counted their money they’d stolen or drafted a plan of how to launder it to legal money through a business or five. Daniel talked about everything except himself. Personal things tightly under wraps covered with a charming smile and a tacky joke. Antonio wasn’t planning on being intrigued by it, really avoiding it as much as he could. Turned out that Daniel was better than he could’ve expected. Noted his hesitance. Chipped away at his defenses so carefully he barely noticed, got comfortable. When Daniel was creating intricate hairdos on top of Antonio’s head while he sat on the floor playing Call of Duty it was too late to back out. Not that he really minded. That or when he had to recount their robbery earnings after they managed to make a mess of the whole table they had been laid out on.

Max was made of gold. Max reminded Antonio of the friend he’d lost the year prior, god they would’ve hated each other. The comparison made Antonio smile though, good memories and all. Max had been very closed off in the beginning, distrust clear on his face every time Antonio saw him until Max joined their Call of Duty squad. The cold and talented boy had transformed into someone silly and competitive in front of his eyes and he felt he now understood better. Related to reverting back to some kind of default state when he didn’t have time to think too much. Max was hiding a lot but his veiling wasn’t as skillful, the wrapping paper was rougher, more tape than careful folds. Max’s pain flashed past his eyes at certain words, panic washed through him at specific sounds, front crumbling for but a brief moment before a carefully practiced indifference covered his whole being again. Antonio learned to steer the conversation on normal nights around those things. Max seemed thankful and Antonio dismissed it. When your life is built inside walls like theirs you help those people maintain it, help them defend those walls because the alternative is too painful.

Alex’s eyes were kind and knowing. Alex was a brilliant liar and it fascinated Antonio. He couldn’t figure out the man’s tell, surely he had one, everyone does. Alex had lied a lot at first, about everything he was asked about. They didn’t blame him, it must’ve been difficult. Being brought in like that with no say in it really. Antonio knew Alex would say yes to whatever Max asked of him before Max had said he’d ask the man to join them. Alex said it wasn’t because Max had asked, that was a lie too. Eventually Alex carefully and methodically broke down the lies he had told, explained how he doesn’t lie to those he works with. Antonio respected that. Antonio also found most of the lies Alex had told didn’t really matter, they weren’t things relevant in their lives, not really. He’d noticed how fond Alex was of the people around him very fast. How Alex would crack inappropriate jokes to make them laugh, lean on their shoulders and press soft kisses on their cheeks whenever he left to do something. Antonio wasn’t going to lie and pretend like it didn’t make him also very fond of Alex. 

Antonio had as much fun as he felt comfortable with. He knew life was too short to deprive himself of it. How upset his friends would be if they knew. Slotting black sunglasses to cover his eyes and pressing a hat on his head he left for the busy city centre. Plan of pickpocketing a few rich looking old men, buy some outrageously priced coffee, maybe go on a little shopping spree before the nursing home opened for visitors. Sure he had money now to buy himself nice things but pickpocketing felt nostalgic. Reminded him of a different time. He would never admit how many things in life he did in the name of nostalgia. Feeling like a teenager again, feeling like he’ll get where he wants to be one day. He sat on a bench in the park by the nursing home, hours later, stirring his cup with the small wooden stick from the cafe. A nurse walked by, pushing an old woman in a wheelchair through the park towards the small pond in the middle of it. Antonio and the nurse nodded to each other, the young woman signaled with his hands what to any outsider would’ve just looked like her stretching her hand and Antonio nodded again. He smiled as he watched the two continue on their way before he got up and made his way to the nursing home. Time to say hello once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your time, all kudos and comments really make my day honestly.


	4. George

George felt more alive than he had in years. The crew was vastly different from the life he had planned and he somehow didn’t mind one bit. Medical school had been so draining and people know it’s only worth it for the fulfillment of practicing medicine, except that’s not what happened for George. He didn’t like to think about what was essentially him failing his own dreams. Goals he’d had since he was just a young boy. He still enjoyed helping the crew with it, doing stitches, some surgery, setting bones wasn’t too bad. It was like working in the ER except there’s only a handful of people who can hurt themselves, but also you’re there always. No days off. They easily got him equipment too so he couldn’t really hate it and he knew he was going to stick with the crew as long as he could. There was no going back anymore, he’d been involved already. Too deep to run out now. Too much knowledge of how the things work in the world he’d before only seen in passing during practical training or walking home from the wrong side of town. Too intimately familiar and too closely involved in planning. Too used to being the judge, the jury and the executioner.

Kimi had picked him up when he’d answered the ad online. He really didn’t know what he got himself into and had accepted the very real possibility of not surviving this encounter the moment he’d seen the car pulling up. He wasn’t a fool, he knew what kind of people drove the kind of cars Kimi had shown up in. The kind of mysteries those types of car had a habit of dumping at the front door of the hospitals in the city and speeding off. Kimi had been so tense, definitely not driving according to any street laws, probably not any other laws either. George had been so scared when the car had been parked outside a large warehouse until Kimi had turned to him and pat him on his shoulder. Kimi told him to just do his best, however much he can. George had nodded slowly before following the intimidating man inside. Later he had learned that wasn’t how Kimi usually was. It had been a tense day. Most times George saw the older man was when he brought leftovers and George packed it away for everyone to eat. Sometimes the guys would bring back food from Kimi when they came back with their new cars. Kimi’s house was too big and the kitchen too nice for them to not spend holidays over each year.

Nico did his best. The man was so focused on making sure everyone else was okay that he forgot to take care of himself. George knew Nico thought he was immensely important to the crew. With how long Nico had been along. With how many people Nico had watched die. How many close friends he’d lost. How terrified George had been of blood covered Nico at their first meeting. Nico valued George and what he brought to the team George saw him not realize how important he was. Nico had been there the longest and was so protective of each of them. Nico had started taking him along to test new equipment and George thought it was very sweet of him. He was still averse to using that weaponry on other people, rather settling for hand to hand combat if necessary but they had a nice time on their research outings. It did also help George understand how those elements played into their plans. George liked being around Nico, the older man was so different from the rest of them. Not quite in a way George could put his finger on but maybe it had something to do with how Nico always told him they’re made of different materials, bent from a different metal, carved from a different tree.

Lando told him to quit at least once a week. In the end it made him laugh every time, Lando had no clue how much he would not be doing that. George knew Lando had grown up into it, not given any choices really, but he really didn’t feel it was an effective argument however much Lando used it. In theory it probably did look to the outside like he could just go back to his old life, get it together and walk on the “straight and narrow” as people said. George had met Fernando a few times, the man was already long gone by the time George joined but it was clear everyone was very proud of the man for getting out. George understood it, understood why Fernando had abandoned this life, but knew that wasn’t for him. There wasn’t anything that could bring him back to his old life like that. Nobody that could convince him. Each time the conversation ended with him kissing Lando’s forehead and telling him no. He also found it funny how often those conversations happened while the smaller man was cuddled against his chest in one of their beds. He also knew Lando didn’t want him to actually quit and leave, deep down not really. So he settled to just telling Lando no.

Antonio was quiet. Kind and understanding. When George and Lando had their conversation in front of someone, it tended to always be Antonio. None of them knew why. George didn’t miss how Antonio reassured him about his feelings of staying, indefinitely, each time he was there to witness it. Both of them knew Lando meant well and George was okay with the question. The answer just wouldn’t change. Antonio also sided with him in their planning meetings a lot, voting on the side of quick and clean. The mutual respect, the camaraderie of their decisions and understanding of the life they’d chosen present at all times. George saw the darkness behind Antonio’s smile each day. Didn’t comment on it but saw it. He’d heard from others that Antonio wasn’t always like he was, that the change had been fast and on the day George had met them the first time. On the day they’d lost their last member. George didn’t think about how nobody had died since he joined, he understood it was a matter of time. Their friendship was mostly limited to trying to argue logic into the others and doing a job analysis after each one and filling the others in on what they should be doing better. 

Daniel got along with everyone. Daniel was loud and unashamed and so damn nice. Daniel also did not possess a survival instinct what-so-ever which ended with George patching him up somehow on a near daily basis. The sheer amount of times George had told the man to stop smashing windows with his bare hands was staggering and it didn’t seem like Daniel had or ever would learn that lesson. Nearly every accident and following medical attention from George came with a variety of lewd jokes and suggestive comments about what Daniel would and wouldn’t be allowed to do. George wouldn’t admit how fond he was of that energy that lightened the expectedly grim mood under his care often. How some of those encounters ended was between them and only concerned whoever was there to directly witness them George supposed. After all, Daniel had a tendency of wanting to test it out right away when George told him what he was and was not allowed to do due to the recent injury, not that George minded most times. Only when he had to then stitch a wound closed or set the broken bone for the second time with shaky hands right after he’d had an orgasm.

Max was like an unexpected positive side effect. George didn’t mind having him around, usually when Daniel was around too, or Lando. He didn’t want to assume Max had some problems about letting people go, but it did seem very apparent. Max had a very carefully constructed, or conditioned, front he held up and George barely ever saw it drop. Usually when Max forgot George was there and was only with Daniel or Lando. George had decided eventually they’d get there too. He knew Max was comfortable with Alex but didn’t seem to forget his presence then. Max was an open book in a language George didn’t know. Reading his behavior didn’t help when he couldn’t decipher what it meant. George often put a blanket over Max when he fell asleep on a couch either alone or with Lando. He was so peaceful when he was asleep the contrast could be startling to those unaware. George was certain the tension between would eventually snap, the build up had been long. He just didn’t know how it would happen. He had no clue why Max was so tense around him so he had no option but to wait. Maybe he could get it out of the man if they were ever alone.

Alex’s smile was like the sun to George and rivaled Daniel’s easily. Alex showed up unconscious and bleeding which had led to George spending a lot of time with him in the first month or so. Max had insisted he would personally see to the survival of the man and George had had a lot of work to convince Max to go rest and that Alex would be okay. Sure the injury had been severe but as they later learned, Alex was strong. He just had a tendency to hurt himself accidentally and George wasn’t going to claim they hadn’t gotten concerningly close for the line of work they’re in. Not that that isn’t the case for most of the guys in the crew, life was too short to not have fun and to sleep alone if that gave you nightmares. They were all doing what they could to cope and they all knew that, didn’t think about it too much. George was endlessly fond of the way Alex said his name whenever the man felt like George was “cheating” during their sparring. It wasn’t like they got into hand to hand combat often so fighting each other was the next best thing to keep those skills  _ up to standard _ as Daniel said. George didn’t admit how often sparring turned into a different kind of athleticism.

George breathed in the fresh air on the roof of the tall building, dangling his feet off the edge and looking down at the people below on the busy street. He found the low fence around the roof entertaining, but he supposed it did keep him from being able to accidentally fall to the street below while he was sitting down. Standing up he would consider it a tripping hazard, an almost hilariously dangerous one. He was waiting for a call, to confirm the medical supply shipment had left the storage and was on its way. He looked down to the streets it would soon drive through. The streets on which they would soon intercept it and block it from getting to the hospital. George didn’t like to think about the implications of that in the bigger picture, liked to assume they’d just sent the hospital a new package of more the same but he knew sometimes that’s not how it happens. He’d been on the other side of it, sat at the unloading dock of the hospital waiting for something important that never arrived. Sometimes them intercepting a shipment may lead to the death of someone. Their operations often did in general though. No use dreading it when it was still going to be used to save a life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so so much for reading! Comments and kudos are dearly loved!


	5. Daniel

Daniel was so aloof it hid the horrors he lived with every night. His self image was constructed of gold. Shiny and beautiful but soft and easily dented with intention. Never as carefully hardened and cooled as some of his friends’. His bright smiles and loud demeanor made him seem unbreakable, untouchable but most of those people didn’t see the other side of that coin. The side that distracts himself with everything and anything, the side that works so hard to hide the uncertainty and pain. The side that only the most observant and closest can see. Daniel was so unpredictable in a way the opposition could never prepare for, and if they lost him from their eyesight they knew better than to feel relieved. Daniel was dedicated to having fun, that’s how he phrased it when people presented questions and he wasn’t going to pretend and say he didn’t find work fun. Watched interrogations with glee and got excited when Antonio walked up to him with his cut. He preferred cash, sure they had bank accounts with fabricated identities but Daniel always told them that cash was better, made him feel like a badass. Maybe it also had to do with how he wasn’t allowed to have cash before.

His first meeting with Kimi had been nothing if not tense. They both knew right away that their energies were such polar opposites, that there was no other option than for things to be awkward for a good while. After a few weeks Daniel had the courage to drive up to Kimi’s shop in a stolen SWAT car for the first time by himself, and Kimi had let out such a genuine laugh Daniel had been concerned for a moment. The older man had given him an approving nod before right away showing Daniel how to break off the GPS tracker on the vehicle so in future that doesn’t lead the cops right to his shop’s door. Daniel took note to do that in future as he watched Kimi hand the tracker to who Daniel would later learn was Sebastian, asking him to throw it in the river. Sebastian had rolled his eyes and hopped in a car with the device. Daniel assumed this wasn’t a rare occurrence between them. Daniel adored both of them, the pair seemed so good together, like there was nobody else in the world. Not that Daniel knew exactly, he didn’t think too hard about the two women he sometimes saw leave the couples house when dropping by, people are allowed to have friends.

Nico reminded Daniel of his early 20s, it made Daniel feel nostalgic to watch Nico get ready. He’d gotten so used to the  _ new _ way of operating, masks, guns, silencers, black clothes. Nico’s bandana, denim jacket and variety of bats and pipes felt good, authentic. It was one of the reasons he liked going with Nico so much, he could pretend. It was good fun wearing something less intense, put his own bandana on and spin a pipe in his hand. He also didn’t mind the car chase after to get away from the cops. Some nights they would just sit around, Daniel knew he was new as far as Nico was concerned but they both knew that didn’t mean he hadn’t been around. He supposes that’s what made it so easy to sit with the two who had been there the longest. A shared knowledge of experiences nobody should have. Maybe that’s also what made it so easy to fall into bed, or a backseat or the bed of a truck, with Nico. Daniel knew Nico was in it for the distraction, for the concept of it and Daniel didn’t mind. He did hope Nico would eventually find his happiness though. Being a step on that ladder was fine with Daniel, he was just having fun after all.

Lando was extraordinary. Daniel maintained the opinion from their first meeting that Lando was like Max if Max was humble. The thought made him laugh on a regular basis, he could never tell that to either of them. Lando was so young and so smart, so far into his life so early. Daniel got him little presents often because he enjoyed how flustered Lando got. On jobs he would often text or radio Lando on a separate channel something inappropriate that would make the boy laugh. George hated it because it often threw half of their plan out the window which forced Daniel to remind them that he would never do it if it put Lando in real danger. He might act a fool but he wasn’t an idiot. Their late night chats in the kitchen while Nico cooked were special, Lando would rant about something that usually didn’t matter but Daniel listened anyway since in that moment it was important to Lando and played with his hair. The boy’s curls had gotten very soft since their first meetings. Daniel told him that and other compliments as much as he could, since those too made a crimson blush spread on the younger’s face and Daniel wasn’t one to miss an opportunity. Not when Lando was so deliciously responsive to him.

Daniel called Antonio  _ criminal James Bond _ on a daily basis. He didn’t know how Antonio really felt about it but if he didn’t tell Daniel no, Daniel had no plans to stop. They had slowly become some of the unlikeliest of friends, Antonio playing video games sitting on the floor, always the floor, in front of the couch with whoever and Daniel sat behind him, doing whatever he pleased with the man’s hair. Or while Antonio was doing something  _ important _ like preparing for a job. Daniel wouldn’t say they talked a lot, not really. More like he talked at Antonio about nothing that mattered and Antonio listened. Like  _ what are the best dog breeds in the world  _ and _ is deep dish pizza actually pizza or just a pizza flavor pie _ . Sometimes Antonio would give some short input. Daniel had fast lost count on the variety of extremely specific conclusions they had come to and of the times he had braided Antonio’s hair for a job by the request of the man. He found that more than okay, his braiding skills were going to waste with his own hair anyway. Daniel had noticed Antonio’s carefulness with him in the beginning but he was persistent, and the victory of pushing countless invaluable pieces of jewelry off a table to lay Antonio on it tasted so sweet each time.

To say he hung around George a lot was an understatement. Daniel wouldn’t say he was accident prone, but he did come back to base needing some minor medical attention a lot. Whether that was the result of him punching his bare hand through glass, getting into an altercation with someone with a knife or just being incapable of not picking at his own scabs. George gently tutted him every time while cleaning up the wound and Daniel would do his best to give the younger man the most innocent smile he could muster. Just how often George gave him clear instructions on what activities he was absolutely forbidden from because of stitches or broken bones or some other injury and Daniel proceeded to go against that advice immediately was between Daniel and god. And George. And sometimes some of the others depending who was available for what he called  _ testing _ . Daniel enjoyed hanging around George’s little medical help room when he was better too, it tended to get very gloomy if someone was seriously injured and Daniel was nothing if not a people pleaser really. In more than one way.

Max had known him for too long really, not that he minded. When he’d seen Max soaking wet from the rain in the entrance of their hideout he was convinced he’d felt his heart stop for a moment. He didn’t know why Max was there and in that second he didn’t know if he should’ve been relieved to see him again or afraid for his life. He didn’t know what Max had been told. After the weeks that followed Max’s arrival, during which he refused to leave Daniel’s side, sleeping in his bed and going on every job with him, Max started to slowly make friends with the rest of the crew and Daniel was proud. Daniel smiled when he watched Max and Lando interact, sure he had hoped that they would get along but the extent was wonderful and just how often those two fell asleep against him when they were watching a movie was making him very good at slinking out of that, although he tried not to do it much. He knew how Max got and he could pin down, or be pinned down by, the younger man only so often when he had all of his other  _ obligations _ . Soreness was fun only to a certain extent. He’d known Max for too long, but it was a two way street after all. 

Alex was so bright Daniel understood why everyone gravitated towards him. Daniel saw himself doing it too, it made perfect sense. Alex was so awkward at first you could’ve thought that’s just who he is but Daniel knew better. Knew it was a defense full of lies. Knew it was the training. The conditioning. Daniel had learned to be a more patient man along the years and he knew better than to make demands from someone that was armed at all times. Alex had eventually opened up to them, started with talking more, telling jokes. Daniel was eternally thankful when they learned how good Alex was at video games and Daniel could give up his place in the Call of Duty squad, he wasn’t any good anyway, only doing it so the others had someone to respawn on. And because he liked being around them. Not that he stopped hanging around but now he could focus on more pressing issues, like messing with their hair and making teasing jokes when one of them dies in a foolish manner. Alex had tried to brush Daniel’s gratitude off for weeks but Daniel knew if he kept poking at the man he would get a demand out. Eventually he did. Alex had said it as a joke but his face had gotten serious when Daniel had dropped to his knees on the spot and smiled.

Daniel stared into the mirror, curls dripping water onto the bathroom counter in front of him. He flashed a bright smile at his reflection before pushing the strands of hair off his face and covering it with a gold embellished skull mask. He grabbed his pistol from the desk outside the bathroom before stepping out to the hotel hallway and making his way to the elevators that would take him down to the casino level, posing to his own reflection on the elevator doors as he waited for one to arrive. He tapped on the communicator in his ear when the elevator doors closed behind him and started counting down. It wasn’t even their primary target, the penthouse suites of the hotel were, but they needed the building evacuated first. What better way to do that than chaos on the casino level featuring a threat of a bomb. The  _ causing chaos on the casino floor _ part of the plan was the responsibility of him, Max and Nico and they were going to deliver. Daniel aimed his pistol at the door of the elevator as he whispered “let’s go boys” into the microphone and as soon as the doors opened Daniel pulled the trigger, embedding the first bullet to the back of a guards head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading once again! Comments and kudos continue to be very important to me.  
> Only two more chapters to go!


	6. Max

Max spent a lot of time on coming up with ways to distract himself. If nothing else he would hack into the police surveillance system to see what was going on around the city. Mostly he would claim it’s for research, to memorize where those cameras are and to check on their enemies, but that wasn’t even half the truth. He was too curious for his own good sometimes. He would never admit to all the other cities or countries surveillance systems he had access to, unless they proved useful. Even then only mumbling something vague that didn’t explain his reasons at all. Some of the others were used to it by then. Sometimes he’d help out Hamilton and Rosberg on their jobs with what hacking they needed or other little things. The less he was alone with his own head the better really. He knew some people started to notice he wouldn’t be by himself for extended periods but hoped they just put it down as wanting social contacts or something similar. Max knew he should at some point go through why he does that, maybe talk to someone about it but he also told him each day  _ maybe tomorrow _ . He wasn’t entirely convinced  _ tomorrow _ would ever come.

Sometimes Max hung around the garage, helping Kimi out with the cars. He was happy to help with either the unrealistic quantity of cars they brought in themselves with the variety of things they wanted for them or then the simpler, actual real customers’ needs, when Kimi was doing something complicated by himself. Max didn’t mind getting his hands greasy, enjoyed it really, and him and Kimi worked together well enough. Kimi was kinder than anyone who didn’t know him would ever expect, he just took his time getting comfortable with people. Slow to warm up. The man was fairly talkative once comfortable, direct and not willing to put up with lies or nonsense, but kind. The way Kimi spoke of his history, the crew and Sebastian made Max smile, the sincerity coming through so clearly.  It all made Max happy, he knew it was dumb but it gave him hope in something different when all was said and done. Maybe he too could build a family outside of this one, made up of criminals, that was close and kind and accepting. A real one with a partner and a kid or a dog. Sometimes Sebastian would bring them food or something warm to drink to the garage and Max couldn’t think of a better place to be in that moment.

Nico had been absolutely terrifying at first. Max was never going to admit that to anyone, especially not the man himself, but Nico had been genuinely one of the scariest people he had ever met. It really hadn’t helped that he knew the man’s mugshot for assault and manslaughter of several police officers had gone viral and that Nico had walked free very soon after. The day Max showed up for the first time Nico had been wearing his denim jacket with fresh blood on the collar of it, knuckles bandaged and bottom lip stitched together. After a very tense few weeks all that crumbled down so very fast when Max cursed in his native language and heard Nico laugh. He’d squinted his eyes at the older man who he could’ve sworn was German and Nico had laughed more. Max wasn’t very proud of the fact that that was then the base they built a whole friendship on, although he did find endless entertainment in saying rude things in rough situations in dutch to the older man who would without fail act outraged. Max was glad Nico didn’t question his motives too much. Max wasn’t going to pretend like he wasn’t very protective of his found family in a similar way Nico was and it made Nico very helpful in figuring out what was a reason for panic.

Lando had so much more fire in him that he even knew. The boy was so humble, Max truly believed it was slowing him down. Max had been convinced he was about to get killed by a tiny nerd with a knife when he’d admitted to hacking the system, and really had resigned to his fate by the time Lando had demanded to know how he’d done it. How he’d gotten through. How he’d found them. It had taken Max a few weeks after that to get it through to his own head that maybe Daniel’s new friends wouldn’t kill him in his sleep, but eventually he’d calmed down. Eventually he sat down with Lando who was playing Rocket League and after the round he picked up a spare controller. Lando had understood the hint and changed the mode to multiplayer and smiled such a bright happy smile at Max’s decision to join him it may have made Max melt. So what if he thought the younger man was very cute. They started hanging out after that, he would help Lando patch the holes in their security systems and Lando helped him sort out personal things he refused to talk about to anyone else. Lando had told him about his own expressions of revenge from years prior. Lando had so much fire and Max couldn’t help but want to burn his hands after each night of games.

Antonio was different. What Max knew others would see as calculating but he recognized as careful. A result of something, a trauma. Max knew he was being cold towards Antonio, he didn’t mean to but he wasn’t sure how else to keep his distance while Antonio was clearly still getting used to him being around. There had to be a reason for the behavior, it seemed so out of place, but Max didn’t know how to approach it so he didn’t. Just let it be. He would’ve never expected Antonio was as good at video games as he was until he played with what was established as their squad for Call of Duty and saw it happen. He also recognized that was when Antonio let go of what Max could only refer to as walls. He did the same thing. Max also noticed how at some point Antonio started ever so cleverly steering conversations around topics, topics that Max knew made him uncomfortable and seemingly Antonio also knew. And likely understood. Max would give him a thankful nod each time and receive a dismissive smile in return like it wasn’t a big deal, for Antonio anyway.

He couldn’t for the life of him figure out why George was so kind. It didn’t seem to make any sense. Sure they worked together and George was kind to everyone but Max was so unused to such behavior he didn’t know what to do. He knew he should ask George about it so he could stop having his guard up so carefully at all times but Dan had ever so helpfully provided that that would be weird when George is just genuinely trying to be accommodating to his behavior. Max wasn’t sure he bought that. Nobody was that kind and that good looking, surely not. He couldn’t trust such a claim unless some kind of proof surfaced. He did spend a lot of time around George, in his medical room or corner or area, wherever they were, because both Daniel and Alex were so accident prone. Max was in the end very protective of his friends, wanted to see them be well, not that he didn’t trust George’s skills. He’d seen the man save someone from injuries that surely should have been fatal. He just felt responsible for the well being of Dan and especially Alex. And eventually the tension between him and George would resolve, at some point, Max was sure.

He wasn’t going to admit it out loud but Daniel knew too much. Of course Max held him dear as someone he’d known for a long time and was comfortable around, but Daniel definitely knew too much, so much more than anyone else ever did. Max had dealt with too much loss in his life to lose Dan too. And that’s why Max had followed him and would follow him to the ends of the earth. Max knew Daniel was more than capable but he also knew the older man very well, down to the details of weaknesses. They had always worked well together and the trust built was on stable ground. Max often bought, or if during jobs stole, things he knew Daniel would enjoy just to get that reaction of happiness. Happiness and extra kisses to his neck later. They were so comfortable around one another it sometimes made Max forget he didn’t actually trust all of the others present like that. Maybe he would eventually but he had built that relationship so carefully with Dan who had been so patient with him, kept being so patient with him. The older man had suggested to ask the people he did trust to help him but Max wasn’t convinced. He didn’t know how to ask people for things. Not if he couldn’t immediately offer anything in return.

Max had made a promise to Alex . Max had sworn when he got teamed up with Alex to protect him whatever it was. They both knew he didn’t mean out in the world, they both knew that was meant as a reassurance that Max had his back even if the situation with  _ management _ got hairy. He’d thought about it a lot when he ran, if Alex was going to be okay, but he knew he had to go. When months and months later he’d seen Alex bleeding in the street that promise came back to him, he didn’t know where the bullet had come from, it could’ve been from the crew or from the other side. Max had no idea but he wasn’t going to let go of his promise. Getting Alex used to the idea of the freedom of the crew had taken a while but Max did his best to help, he knew how it was after all. He felt incredibly sorry for having abandoned Alex back then with the people he’d sworn to protect him from. Max was also fascinated by how fast Alex had taken a liking to George. It did make sense he supposed, George was kind and responsible for medical care, while Alex was shy and prone to accidents that would result in him cutting his hand open on a broken mug or tripping on the stairs. Max found it hysterical that this was the same man who would break your arm as a reflex if you approached him from a blind spot.

Max had heard a word going around about a gathering of people with expensive and fast cars at 2am in the parking lot of a mall. He knew he should go and bring Nico with him for some simple grand theft auto. The rich people doing it to show off were never smart enough to not leave the keys in, easier to rev and show off the lights, easier to steal. He figured they’d take the crew’s old Ferrari 458 Spider. The car’s already been painted any color imaginable and ran so many different plates to throw off the cops, it had really run its course. Plan was to leave it there while making off with a few pretty little pieces from some  _ poor unfortunate souls _ . The normalization of face coverings really played right into their pocket for things like these, not that most people there would actually want to talk to cops about their expensive car disappearing in detail since half the cars at the gatherings weren’t exactly street legal anyway. Before all that though, Max figured he should clean out the car, just to not leave any clear signs of ownership in it, not that it was any of theirs anyway. As far as he knew it was stolen by Fernando back in the day, in the same way most of their shared cars were, and was overdue for an update.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end! Thank you for your time once again and thank you for the kudos and comments.


	7. Alex

The waves crashed against the concrete down below. The wind made the long strings of his hoodie flap behind him. Alex came to the docks often at night, when the crane by the broken light wasn’t in use, and climbed to the top of the crane to just look at the ocean, listen to it. Things with the crew tended to get loud, hectic. Alex just wanted to relax sometimes. He’d throw some excuse in the air before leaving and making his way to that same crane. Keeping up with those lies was getting confusing. He knew one day they’d fix the light that made sneaking over the fence and up the ladder easier and Alex would have to find some other way. He also knew that most nights at some point the guard would raise his head from his online crosswords and realize that there is  _ unauthorized personnel _ sitting on the crane and come demand he leave or they call the cops. Alex didn’t want any trouble, he was there to relax and not to start something, so he’d leave quietly. Laugh at the guards protests when he hopped the fence the other way. Some nights the guards either didn’t notice or didn’t care. That would have been more than okay with Alex were he not so curious.

Kimi was kind. Quiet and caring. Despite whatever past nobody talked about, some knew, Alex saw how differently each person around approached it, there seemed to be a curve to it. Salo did not care, to be fair the hitman didn’t care about most things. Nico seemed to treat it with most respect, like it made Kimi special, like Kimi could do what he wanted because of it. Alex figured they knew the details of it too, he didn’t. Most of them around now didn’t, or maybe they just didn’t care. Alex hadn’t asked and wouldn’t. Everyone is entitled to their secrets. Kimi had a new life with Sebastian anyway. Alex didn’t know how much Kimi knew about him either but he hadn’t volunteered much, although there was a general understanding between them that likely both of them knew more than they were admitting. Alex didn’t drop off cars much, he had his personal vehicles he didn’t use for their operations and he didn’t need others. Sometimes he’d drop off parts, Kimi didn’t ask and he didn't tell. It didn’t matter. Just a quiet mutual understanding between them that they were good for use but further questioning would likely be incriminating. Sebastian tended to roll his eyes at them when they just nodded at one another.

Nico had been the first person he saw. He’d opened his eyes and the headache had been nearly unbearable when he’d seen the blonde man. A gun in a thigh holster and what Alex could only assume was a knife on the table next to the man. He couldn’t tell from his position for sure. Alex had no clue where he was, whether he was in danger or who that man was. He had tried to sit up and the pain shooting from his side made him hiss, which made the man notice he was awake. He’d given Alex what the younger could only assume was meant as a reassuring smile, despite it not working to do such a thing whatsoever before yelling out that he’s awake. Alex had held his breath until the familiar face of Max had blasted through the door. The man, eventually introduced as Nico, had spoken to Max in soft dutch and Alex had relaxed. Gaining Max’s trust was so hard, he knew that, that he felt Nico couldn’t be too bad. They didn’t spend much time together outside of jobs but that didn’t matter. Nico was different, harbored a different kind of fear, Alex respected that.

Lando carried himself so differently than anyone else Alex had ever known. So open and unencumbered by the world around them. Sure Lando had secrets, they all did. Full truths land people in jail. But Lando trusted fast and fully in those who joined the crew, like he’d decided to not let the hurt inside him define him. He didn’t mind talking about his past if asked and Alex didn’t want to ask much, just curious about the crew. Lando had been so understanding in the beginning, when Alex was feeling awkward about being there. He wasn’t like most of the recruits, he hadn’t gone through a process, he was literally plucked from the street, unconscious and bleeding. He hadn’t asked to join, he’d just woken up there. Lando and Daniel had seemingly taken turns just talking at him when he didn’t feel like opening up. Alex was thankful for that. Lando was like a bee with a tendency to stab people who scared him and a habit of falling asleep against people he was playing video games with. Alex had learned the hard way not to wake the man suddenly if he had fallen asleep against his shoulder. Alex still thought he was very cute.

Antonio was quiet. Calculated. Easy to deal with in Alex’s eyes. Antonio spent a lot of time observing the people around him and Alex knew he was being observed as well, not that he wasn’t used to it. Antonio’s watching eye was less judging, more studying. Like he was trying to get to know people without talking to them. Alex knew he warmed up to people pretty fast but he was being careful, Antonio was harder to read than most of the others in the crew. It took them weeks but eventually Alex started to figure it out, the small smiles and the quiet responses to things he talked about. Antonio was quiet. Calculated. But endlessly gracious. Antonio would watch them for signs of discomfort or upset and steer around the things that lead to such reactions. Antonio kept his door open at night so Alex, or anyone else, could crawl into his bed for comfort. Antonio laughed at their mediocre jokes during video games and Alex genuinely couldn’t tell if the man actually found them funny or wanted to make everyone feel comfortable that thoroughly. Antonio was like the light of a full moon through a window, calming and comfortable.

Alex didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about how close he got to George so fast. Sure they spent a lot of time together but it wasn’t like the crew was very big. Alex did spend a lot of time just thinking about George. How he was so kind and sociable while hiding a lot. A world of pain and bad things behind a new life. Alex knew the younger man went to medical school before his world had changed. He didn’t talk about it, Alex didn’t press it. Wouldn’t want anyone to press him. Any time George wasn’t patching Alex or whoever else up from whichever latest incident he had or Alex wasn’t busy with something else and they had extra time, they would get takeout for the whole crew together a lot. How long those trips took with their  _ detours _ was nobody’s business. George was concerned with how everyone was eating, what it was and how often. Alex just wanted to be helpful. George had a small notebook with what everyone preferred from each restaurant they frequented around the city, what salad toppings or which vegan dish was the best. George also wrote down any and all restaurant recommendations from Lewis whenever the man visited and almost religiously took time to try each one. Alex thought that was very cute. 

He’d heard a lot about Daniel. So many things that should’ve led him to distrust, to bitterness and unsettle. And then he had met the man and he understood all of it. Daniel’s smile was so bright, his hair so soft looking, the artful tattoos standing out against his skin and Alex understood it all. Everything he had heard made sense. The man was sculpted by gods, probably greek, considering they forgot to put a moral compass and a self control in. Nobody minded. Daniel seemed to come with his own gravitational pull, he would talk about everything and nothing for hours in a way where Alex couldn’t help but listen and it made him so much more comfortable in the unknown environment he had been thrust in. Daniel thanked Alex weekly for taking his position in the Call of Duty squad. Alex didn’t know what to do at first, but once he figured out Daniel’s game he was willing to play along. Told the older man each time a new thing he demanded as a thank you. He wasn’t serious about his demands, Daniel could’ve said no at any point, but the man seemed to find it fun. Whatever that demand was each time he was sure to provide. Alex wouldn’t lie and say he didn’t enjoy it

Max was good. A genius even. And Alex did his best to not compare himself to the younger man, not since everything he did was compared to him. Max was too nice to Alex for him to be bitter about it either, and when Max had left, Alex didn’t know how to act. They’d been a good team, helped one another stay safe. In and out of the base. Months later he was sent on what was supposed to be a routine job. Until there had been gunshots. Until he had woken up in what was clearly a medical room but not put together enough to be a hospital. Or even his home base. When Max had shown up Alex was convinced he was dead, afterlife was mocking him. Nobody had told him you’d be in so much pain after you died. Max had laughed at him and called him a bastard. Turned out he was very much so alive. Turned out Max had kept his word despite disappearing to thin air. Saved Alex’s damn life. When they’d asked him if he’d join the crew and Max had looked at him with actual genuine hope in his eyes, what was he supposed to do? He’d nodded. Max’s apologies for abandoning him before were very thorough. Alex couldn’t possibly be upset. Not with how Max had saved his life. And definitely not with how soft his hair was between Alex’s fingers.

Alex had gotten a radio phone for his night time adventures, asked Lando to fiddle with it so he could access all the channels for the industrial area of the city. Just because he was curious. Lando had shrugged and done as asked. Alex had left a soft kiss as a thank you. He just wanted to know what went on around the docks, so he sat atop the crane again with his radio phone listening to the guards talk about nothing. “Is the guy on the crane tonight?” the guy Alex referred to himself as  _ South Guard _ had asked and the other guy had hummed in affirmation, “I don’t know why the other shifts bother with him, he just sits up there for a few hours and leaves, who cares?” Alex laughed to himself and kept the radio phone on low volume as he kept watching the water down below. A few hours later he climbed down, hopped the fence and got in his dark blue Pagani Huayra parked under the trees. It was late. He should get back and see if the guys were back at the base or if they got themselves into trouble. Maybe he could catch some chill time with Lando, since the younger was  _ “grounded” _ after breaking his arm during a mural painting accident. Alex figured they could have fun even though Lando couldn’t hold a controller for another four weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of this installment in the AU. I hope you've enjoyed!
> 
> Once more big thank you to ricciardos for being a big big help through the writing process. Each and every one of you who's said kind words (here or tumblr tags, I see you) thank you so much. I had a great time writing this.
> 
> Comments and kudos are dearly appreciated!


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